THOUSANDS of junior doctors have begun their first ever all-out strike but Jeremy Hunt is insisting a controversial new contract will go ahead.

The BMA has accused Jeremy Hunt of "throwing mud" at junior doctors and distorting statistics

An impasse between the Health Secretary, who blasted the strike as "blackmail", and the British Medical Association has resulted in junior doctors striking from 8am to 5pm today and again tomorrow.

No agreement on a way forward has been reached despite days of phone calls and letters between Mr Hunt and the head of the BMA.

Mr Hunt made an 11th hour appeal to medics last night not to withdraw emergency cover, which he said had particular risks for A&E departments, maternity and intensive care.

The BMA has rejected these claims, explaining senior consultants will be providing the same level of care to patients as usual.

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Junior doctors striking this morning

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Junior doctors outside St Thomas' hospital this morning

Mark Porter, head of the BMA, said: "The Health Secretary is trying to find some way to throw mud at the junior doctors of this country who have been providing weekend and night emergency cover since the NHS started."

Consultant Philip Lee, who works Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, wrote an open letter to patients in an attempt to calm worries that loved ones will not receive full support should they require it over the next two days.

He said: "Putting aside the reasons they're striking for a second, let me now say categorically, you and your friends and loved ones will continue to get world class emergency care those days.

"If you come to the emergency department having been run over by a car, we'll be there waiting for you. If you're already in hospital, you'll still be seen by a consultant or staff specialist if you need to.

"If you need an emergency operation, it will happen. If your loved ones are in intensive care, doctors will see them as usual.

"The emergency service on those days will be no worse, if not better, than an average day. The Department of Health has said none of this."

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Around 57% of the public support the doctors in the dispute, with a quarter opposed

The BMA added that they would have called off the strike if Mr Hunt agreed to lift his threat to impose the contract and accused the Government of "distorting" weekend death statistics, which Mr Hunt has pointed to time and again as reason for the new contract.

Jeremy Hunt wants to cut the number of hours over a weekend for which junior doctors can claim extra pay, while offsetting this with a hike in basic pay.

The imposed contract, due to come into force in August, has an increase in basic salary of 13.5 per cent but 7am to 5pm on Saturdays will be regarded as a normal working day. There will still be premium rates for Saturday evenings and all of Sunday.

While more than 125,000 appointments and operations scheduled to have taken place today and tomorrow have been cancelled, the strike has the support of 57 per cent of the public, a considerable rise from the 44 per cent of people who supported a strike in January.

I don't think any union has the right to blackmail the Government

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt

Despite this, Mr Hunt said he would not be swayed by the "unprecedented" strike.

He said on television this morning: "I don't think any union has the right to blackmail the Government, to force the Government to abandon a manifesto promise that the British people have voted on."

He previously said: "We are proud of the NHS as one of our greatest institutions but we must turn that pride into actions and a seven-day service will help us turn the NHS into one of the highest quality healthcare systems in the world."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Mr Hunt should "back off", adding: "We must stand up and defend the NHS."